


We're Flying High

by Slsheeba567



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Airplanes, Alternate Universe - Human, Anxiety Attacks, Aviophobia, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Dean has a Fear of Flying, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Gay Castiel, M/M, POV Dean Winchester, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 23:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10955067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slsheeba567/pseuds/Slsheeba567
Summary: Prompt: "I'm afraid of flying and you were incredibly helpful and tolerant and sweet about it."





	We're Flying High

**Author's Note:**

> All I have to say is I'm so fucking broken over that finale, so here's a sweet fluffy AU for you guys to forget about it :)

Fuck it, he can’t do this.

 

Dean tried to slow his breathing as he looked at the inner walkway leading to the airplane.

 

No, no, he had to do this for Sammy.

_“Imagine how hurt he’d be if you missed his graduation, Dean.”_

 

“Okay.” Dean mumbled under his breath. There was only one more person in front of him in the line to check boarding passes. It was now or never.

 

“Hello Mr. Winchester. Enjoy your flight.” The woman says, smiling at him as she scans his pass and gives the slip of paper back to him.

 

 _“Now what?”_ His mind asks.

 

 _“Walk towards the plane you idiot”_ It also responds back to him.

 

Oh. Okay.

 

As he waits in the inner tube to board the plane, he tries to calm himself by focusing on his surroundings like his therapist taught him to do when he’s anxious.

 

There’s a little girl with a teddy bear, holding her father’s hand, looking every bit as anxious as Dean himself feels.

 

There’s an elderly couple talking and laughing good-heartedly about something.

 

And, _holy fuck,_ there’s a super-hot guy standing about 3 people in front of Dean, reading his boarding pass.

 

He must have been staring a bit too long at the man, because he looks up and stares right back at Dean.

 

Dean awkwardly looks away at the chipped white walls, as he wonders exactly what shade of blue the guy’s eyes were. Sapphire? Turquoise?

 

He doesn’t get a chance to decide because suddenly he’s boarding the plane, and holy crap, this is for real, and _when the fuck did he get so close to the front of the line._

He awkwardly remembers that he should find his seat, and checks his boarding pass quickly.

 

12B.

 

As he gets closer to his seat, he realizes it’s right next to hot guy with the blue eyes.

 

Great.

 

Any other day, and he would have this guy’s pants charmed right off him, but of course the universe hates him, and he meets possibly the hottest guy he’s ever seen in his life right inside a metal vessel of death.

 

After putting his luggage safely inside the overhead compartment, he grabs his book, and slides into his seat next to hot guy.

 

Hot guy turns his head to look at him, and _damn he’s even more gorgeous up close._

 

“Hello,” The man says in a gravelly voice, and what the fuck, if voices could be hot, this guy definitely takes the #1 spot for sexiest voice.

 

“Hi,” Dean responds back at him, and flashes his most alluring smile, although he’s pretty sure it comes out strained and nervous. “I’m Dean.”

 

“Castiel.” The guy replies.

 

What the fuck kind of name is Castiel?

 

He doesn’t say that of course, and simply says, “Cool.”

 

Cool? Really? Man, he’s way off his game.

 

They don’t really talk much after that, even though Dean wants to know more about Cas.

 

It’s not until the safety regulations are explained, and the plane is about to take off, that he starts to panic.

 

The plane starts going at what seems like fucking high speed, and he grips the armrest so hard he wouldn’t be surprised if it broke.

 

Then there’s a kind of floating feeling in his stomach as the noise stops, and _fuck, fuck, fuck_ they’re in the air now.

 

His fear must show in his face, because Castiel places a tentative hand on his forearm and says, “It’s okay, the worst of it’s over now.”

 

Now the guy probably thinks he’s some kind of wimp now. That’s just perfect.

 

 _“Way to go Winchester_.” His mind supplies helpfully.

 

After a couple of minutes the seatbelt sign turns off, and a man in front of Dean gets up to go to the bathroom.

 

“Scared of flying?”

 

Dean turns his head to look at Castiel and says, “Huh?” Like the idiot he is.

 

“I asked, are you afraid of flying?”

 

“Oh,” Dean chuckles self-consciously. “Yeah. Been afraid my whole life of these things.”

 

“If it’s any consolation, I’m deathly afraid of spiders.” Cas says back to him.

 

Cas. Huh. That’s new.

 

“Something about them is just…” Cas continues with his sentence. “Creepy.” He visibly shudders.

 

“Yeah, I can get that.” Dean says, and suddenly has a brief surge of affection for this man for distracting him. He almost forgot they were flying for a minute.

 

It hits him again though, when the airplane starts shuddering slightly.

 

The pilot says, “We are experiencing some rough air.” No shit.

 

Dean feels the familiar feeling of hyperventilation, and shuts his eyes with a painful grimace.

 

A hand slips into his, and says in a low voice, “Count your fingers.”

 

Dean eye’s fly open and he grits out a confused, “What?”

 

“Do it.” Cas orders, and damn if he wasn’t scared out of his mind right now, he would be a little turned on.

 

He starts counting his fingers over and over, trying to focus his mind entirely on the mundane task.

 

He stops when his heart doesn’t feel like it’s beating out of his chest anymore.

 

Dean lets out a deep breath and says, “Thank you so much,” to Castiel.

 

Cas gives a cute little shrug and says, “It’s no problem. My daughter has an anxiety disorder as well. I’m well versed in helping her deal with her attacks by now.”

 

Daughter. Damn it. That meant the guy was probably married.

 

Those thoughts were quickly squashed though, when the man says his next sentence.

 

“She started getting them when me and my husband divorced 2 years ago.”

 

Divorced. Even better, _husband._ That meant Cas swung his way.

 

“I’m sorry.” Dean says.

 

Cas shakes his head. “It’s fine. We just weren’t meant to be, you know?”

 

Dean nodded. He could relate to that.

 

It wasn’t too long ago that Lisa broke up with him. He had seen it coming for months, but it still didn’t hurt any less when he had to leave.

 

“I recently broke up with my girlfriend.” Dean said, and swore his mind was playing tricks on him when he saw Cas deflate at the word, “girlfriend.” “We were together for about 3 years.”

 

“I’m sorry. That must have really hurt, to break up with a longtime partner.” Cas gave him a sympathetic glance.

 

“Yeah, it did. But it was for the best. It was a long time coming.”

 

Castiel nods, and he really wants to continue the conversation so he segues into, “So, what’s your daughter’s name?”

 

Cas brightens a little at the thought of his child, and says back, “Claire. She’ll be turning 14 this month. She’s having a bit of a rebellious phase, now that she’s reaching adolescence.”

 

Dean laughs a bit at that and says, “Yeah, teenagers aren’t fun to deal with. My brother, Sam, was a real handful when he was one. I’m here to go his college graduation.”

 

Cas lift’s his eyebrows and asks, “Where is he graduating from?”

 

“Stanford. He wants to be a lawyer.”

 

“That’s amazing! You must be so proud of him.”

 

“Yeah,” Dean says, grinning at the thought of his brother. “I really am.”

 

Somehow, they get into talking about their favorite authors, and Castiel grins when he mentions Vonnegut.

 

“What’s your favorite novel of his?”

 

“Slaughterhouse Five. What about you?”

 

“I’m a huge lover of Harrison Bergeron. It’s one of my favorite books of all time. I read it every year.”

 

“I love that one too!” Dean says, excitedly. Wow, this guy gets more and more attractive with each passing moment. Smart _and_ sexy.

 

They talk more and more about their lives, and things that they like, and somehow Dean lets it slip out that he’s bisexual.

 

“I’ve always just struggled with it my whole life. My brother’s always been supportive about it, but my dad……”

 

He trails off, thinking about his dad. He still remembers the day he came out. It was not a pretty picture.

 

“You’re a very brave man, Dean. I know how hard it is to come out. I was raised in an extremely religious household, and my parents practically disowned me when I was 18.”

 

He feels sympathy for Cas and says, “Thanks, Cas. That means a lot. That must’ve been really hard for you.”

 

“Cas?” He says, and Dean’s thinking, “ _Oh crap.”_

 

“Yeah, uh, well you see, Castiel is a bit of a mouthful. I understand if you just want me to call you by your full name.”

 

Cas smiles and says, “No, I like it. It’s fine for you to call me Cas, if you want to.”

 

The plane starts to land, and he gratefully accepts Cas’s outstretched hand for him to hold.

 

The plane starts making this awful screeching sound as it halts to a stop, and Dean cringes, gripping Cas’s hand in what he’s sure is a painful vice.

 

Dean laughs as the plane makes its way over to where it’s supposed to be parked, and says, “I survived.”

 

Cas lets out a little laugh at that and replies, “Yes, you did.”

 

As the seatbelt sign blinks off, he gets up to gather his luggage out from the overhead compartment, and waits for Cas outside the airplane.

 

“So,” he says, as Cas meets him where he’s standing outside the entrance to the plane.

 

“Can I get your number?” He asks, and almost smacks himself in the face. Normally charismatic Dean has definitely left the building. Or, well, the airplane.

 

Cas surprises him with a smirk, and says, “I was waiting for you to ask me that all flight.”

 

Dean scratches the back of his neck, and laughs, asking, “So, not very subtle, huh?”

 

Cas shakes his head and says, “Nope.”

 

They exchange numbers, and Dean’s heart gives out a leap that he would deny if you asked him about it at the sight of Cas’s number in his phone.

 

Castiel surprises him once more as he leans up to give Dean a heated kiss.

 

And no, Dean does _not_ give a little whimper when Cas eventually pulls away.

 

“Call me.” He says, winking, and walking away to his next flight.

 

Yup, this is going down as the best flight in Dean’s life.


End file.
